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This year Bay Elementary School’s summer SPICE program featured NASA and Space. We were glad to support the program with a daytime solar star gaze. The only party not fully cooperating was our atmosphere. It was very cloudy by the time the students had finished the NWFAA presentation about our closest star – the Sun. There was lots of waiting for the Sun to peek out of the clouds. However, the students patience paid off and the clouds started to break and ultimately the skies were mostly clear.

Frank shows off his scope while waiting for the clouds to clear.

Finally, the clouds started to break and lines formed at the scopes.

The line at Dennis’ H-Alpha scope.

Robert’s 8″ Celestron was used to view the sunspot.

Dean’s H-alpha scope shows off the small prominence.

Viewing the solar spectrum through Tom’s spectroscope.

Frank Atchison, Dean Covey, Tom Haugh, Dennis Hausch and Robert Sutphen all brought instruments to support the event. Eventually everyone got to see the Sun in each of the devices that we had set up. In addition to the solar disk, the students were able to see one large sunspot and one small prominence.

We would like to thank the staff of Bay Elementary School for the invitation to share our passion for Astronomy and for the photo of the entire gang. We also thank our unofficial club photographer ,Marietta Hausch, for the additional event pictures.

Our first visit to Parkwood Estates was our second attempt after the first was postponed due to weather. Unfortunately, what looked like better weather conditions deteriorated until the skies were very overcast before the Sun even set. Tom Haugh held a question and answer session for the assembled crowd until Jupiter finally made an appearance through a few holes in the clouds.

Tom answers questions while stalling for clear skies.

Dennis answers guest observer questions.

In addition to Tom’s telescope, Dennis Hausch, James Dubben and Robert Sutphen all brought scopes in hope of clear skies. The clouds slowly broke revealing a 6 day old Moon. Those guests who waited out the sky were able to ultimately view Vega, Epsilon Lyrae, the Ring Nebula (M 57) and the great Hercules cluster (M 13).

Clouds were somewhat broken when members of the NWFAA started setting up their solar equipment at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, but by the time we were all setup, there were only a few small spots of blue in the sky. Dean Covey, Tom Haugh and Robert Sutphen provided the solar telescopes. However, the Sun and the holes in the clouds rarely lined up. Luckily, a few of our guests were able to catch a quick glimpse of the Sun before it set. A band of clear sky to the south, out over the gulf, kept promising clearing skies so we stuck around. Eventually, the clouds started to break and the later it got, the bigger the holes were until it was mostly clear. By the time the Sun set, club member Cliff Schornak added his scope to the group for the nighttime portion of the event.

We had 40+ guest observers throughout the afternoon and evening. This was one of the better attended events at Topsail and we must acknowledge the assistance of the Friends of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park for the larger crowd.

As has been the pattern recently, Jupiter was the first object that was visible. The planet was so bright it was visible through the lighter parts of the cloud deck and it was the only object visible for some time. Later, the great Hercules cluster was also spotted high overhead as well as the Ring Nebula and Antares over the southern tree line. Even though the sky still had some clouds, the Milky Way was just visible.

Finally, just before we shutdown, Saturn rose over the southeastern treeline. As usual, Saturn stole the show and wowed the first time observers.

Eden Gardens State Park is just down the road from Grayton Beach State park and since it was only one month since the Grayton Beach event the same celestial objects were still visible. Once again, our early guest observers were able to view Jupiter before sunset well before the 4 Galilean moons were visible.

Jupiter’s not visible yet.

A young guest observer gets ready to view Jupiter.

This edition of state park star gaze featured the debut of Scott Morgan’s radio telescope. NASA sponsors the Radio Jove project; an educational project for students, teachers and the general public. Scott built one of their receiver kits and constructed the antenna system. Although the Earth, Jupiter and Io orbital geometry was not optimal to ‘listen’ to Jupiter’s radio emissions, he set up the scope anyway and monitored the observations.

Scott and his radio telescope setup and listening.

‘Observing’ Jupiter

Several club members brought traditional optical telescopes as well. Dean Covey brought his 8″ Celestron and James Dubben brought the clubs big Dobsonian mounted Newtonian reflector. It took several members and several minutes to setup and collimate, but the 16″ aperture is well worth the effort. The Ring Nebula (M 57) just starts to show some color when the big scope is pointed its way. Other objects viewed were the Whirlpool Galaxy (M 51) and the Great Hercules Cluster (M 13). Additional optical telescopes were setup by Tom Haugh and Robert Sutphen. This star gaze also featured a second debut. Robert has his classic orange 8″ Celestron mounted on a brand new goto mount.

Members of the NWFAA headed north Wednesday morning to provide students of the Holt Academy with telescopic views of the Sun. Each class got a quick presentation about the Sun before heading outside to view our nearest star. We had enough volunteers that the students were able to view the Sun four different ways. Frank Atchison brought his white light filtered 8″ Meade. Dean Covey provided a Hydrogen-Alpha view. Dave Halupowski had his Unitron refractor setup for solar projection and Tom Haugh had his spectroscope set up. A couple of times the clouds slowed the lines at the telescopes but everyone got a chance at each solar device.

Our first public star gaze at Grayton Beach State Park was a qualified success. We setup solar telescopes three hours before sunset as usual, unfortunately, there were only a few guests to take advantage of them.

Taking a last look at the setting Sun.

One person that did show up was photographer Todd Douglas who was on assignment for Emerald Coast Magazine. He was there to get photos for the magazine’s upcoming article on Astronomy. It is always amazing to see the results of an artist at work. The previews he showed us were amazing. We really look forward to the magazine’s article.

Guest observers view Jupiter at dusk.

As the Sun started to set, the clouds started to gather. But, they were broken enough that we were able to view through the gaps. The first target visible was Jupiter easily seen in the evening dusk. By the time the sky was fully dark the broken clouds were lit fairly well by the surrounding communities. However, it was obvious from the dark skies in between that Grayton Beach, absent the clouds, would have quite dark skies.

We observed an eclectic set of objects. Whatever was visible through the holes, we looked at:

Jupiter

M 42 (Orion Nebula)

M 65 & M 66

M 44 (Beehive Cluster)

M 41

Alcor/Mizar

The skies in between the brightly lit clouds were dark enough that we could view both components of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M 51). That is unusual for a site as close to the gulf as the state park is. We look forward to a cloudless event at Grayton Beach.

One again we thank Marietta Hausch for her event photos.

The NWFAA members who supported our first Grayton Beach star gaze were:

Last year our support for Baker School’s family STEMM night was weathered out. Not so this year.

Club members started setting up at 6:00 PM with students and parents arriving as early as 6:30, before the formal start time. The day was still bright, but we observed the 10 day old moon until after dark.

Dennis discusses his telescope before the skies darken.

Viewing the daytime Moon.

In all, there were about 60 students and parents attending. Besides the moon, we viewed Mars, Jupiter, and the Orion Nebula.

Frank explains what the observers will view before the skies get dark.

Observers take a look through the club’s 16″ Dobsonian telescope.

Any dark sky objects were limited by the moon and a new security light that was very bright and aimed directly at us. Our club contact felt real bad about the light and said she would take care of it for next year. When we cleaned up at about 9:00 PM the outside temperature was down to 56 degrees.

Thanks go to the club volunteers who supported Baker’s family STEMM star gaze with additional thanks to Marietta Hausch for her fine event photography and Dennis Hausch for the event report:

The first 2017 public star gaze at Henderson Beach State Park featured one of the better skies we have experienced there. The previous day’s weather left the skies clean and a little more stable, promising a darker sky than usual.

Joining us was Boy Scout Ryan Wethington. He used the star gaze to complete the last requirement toward his Astronomy merit badge. He manned the scope used to train staff members at the facilities participating in our library telescope program.

Boy Scout Ryan Wethington sights in the library teaching telescope.

A thin crescent Moon shows up fine in the library scope.

As usual, we started off with solar telescopes to view the Sun but with the Sun heading toward minimum in its 11 year cycle, the lack of activity results in a rather mundane view. We had our full complement of solar equipment set up but the Sun insisted on displaying little activity. Little activity or not, several of our guests got their very first telescopic views of the Sun.

Frank Atchison shows one of our guest observers the star closest to the Earth; the Sun.

The solar viewing session starts to wrap up as the Sun gets very low in the sky.

As the Sun set we transitioned to nighttime equipment with one of the first objects visible being a thin crescent Moon. As the crowd gathered we handed out star charts and explained how to use them as well as a quick explanation how the star gaze would proceed. As the sky continued to darken Mars came into view along with a crescent Mercury very low on the western horizon.

Tom makes sure everyone gets an April sky map and knows how to use it.

One of our guest observers takes a look through Curt’s big refractor.

The Orion nebula was still high enough in the sky to view along with M-41,next door in Canis Major. Directly overhead M-44, the beehive cluster, completely filled our lowest power eyepieces. Eventually, Jupiter rose in the east with its attendant moons and was high enough to clear the atmospheric muck on the horizon well before the time we started wrapping up.

Thanks go to all the club volunteers who supported the first Henderson Beach star gaze of the year with additional thanks to Marietta Hausch and Dave Halupowski for their fine event photography:

Once again the NWFAA was glad to support the 2017 Boy Scouts of America Scout-O-Rama. Attendance was down from last year, but the guest observers who did stop by enjoyed beautifully clear skies.

Dennis Hausch brought his white light filtered iOptron Maksutov and Tom Haugh set up his Lunt Hydrogen-Alpha scope. The Sun was not real active so there wasn’t a lot to view. One minor prominence and a couple of small sunspots was all the Sun could muster.